Ready to Crash
by Bunnybabi
Summary: The summer after fifth year, Harry feels numb, just so very numb. Until one day, he finds a perfect, red apple on his bed that leaves him stranded out in the rainy woods of the Olympic Peninsula, just outside of Forks, Washington. Twilight/HarryPotter
1. Apples to Apples, Dust to Dust

1. Apples to Apples, Dust to Dust

**Okay, I know that some of the people who have me on Author Alert are very, very, very angry with me. Let me first say that I am a million kajillion times SO SORRY that I haven't finished my other stories. To be very frank and honest, I lost the muse for most of those but I will, SERIOUSLY, try to finish them because its been about… a while… I might rewrite them because I'm looking over them now and I think my writing could better… WELL ANYWHO, I just felt the desire to write this. It's AU, obviously and a crossover between Twilight and Harry Potter. Before any of you think I'm stealing from HappilyBored's story **_**Harry Potter and the Days in Twilight**_** , I'M NOT. True, I did read her story before I actually began writing but I have been thinking about this crossover for a while without the right output and no need to worry, this story is different from hers. We don't need redundancy, do we?**

* * *

The sky was dark, as was to be expected for this time. Twilight. Harry was still not at Privet Drive, not that the Dursleys' minded much. It was a habit he had taken up lately, staying out and away from the Muggles he loathed as much as possible. He sat immobile on one of the rusty swings in the park. It was the very same park that he and Dudley had left together just the summer before… right before being attacked by Dementors. But even with that memory coming back to him now, it was better than going back to his own personal hell. Brilliant emerald eyes stared unseeingly at the sky, the brightest of stars only shining through the dimming light of the thinning sunset. He had no purpose to be here. In fact, he had been advised to stay in the Dursleys' house until the Weasleys' came for him, so there were going to be repercussions for this, he was sure. They were still 'watching out for him.' More like stalking him. It irked him, knowing that 'Dung or whoever else the Order had commandeered was lurking somewhere in the shadows, making sure he was staying out of trouble.

It was obvious with Mrs. Figg. She would purposely stand in front of her window, her wrinkled eyes watching through her curtained window. The only good thing that came from this was the fact that it made Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon extremely nervous. It was always fun to watch them fret over something they needn't even worry about. They - of course- still didn't know that Mrs. Figg was a squib. However, they would then turn on him and accuse him of somehow showing off his 'freakiness' and exposing himself. These arguments were short-lived and usually ended with him being sent to his room without supper or even food for a day. After that, he would receive meals from Aunt Petunia in front of his door until he finally left his room and house itself. So began the cycle again.

His clothes stuck to him and a bead of sweat slid down the back of his neck. He would have shivered had the air been less humid and warm but at this point the perspiration was welcome. He longed for cool air but didn't want to leave the park. He would have to though, wouldn't he? Harry closed his eyes, a soft groan escaping his lips and a crease forming on his forehead. How many more days before the Weasleys would come and take him? Six more? Or was it five? A happy day, probably one of the first this summer and he couldn't even remember when it was going to happen. He sighed and pushed off of the rusty swing, the squeaking of it hinges was the loudest sound around him and it brought him farther out of his thoughts.

He felt so strange. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, that he knew. He felt numb and all that people saw of him was that numbness. If Hermione and Ron had been there with him, they would have seen through it.

A war raged on within Harry's mind, one of grief and anger and guilt. And he was fighting himself.  
_I suppose I should start heading back now… It'll take me a good few minutes to get back but then again, I could always walk slowly._ The thought of prolonging his return to 4 Privet Drive lifted the sides of his mouth into a lopsided smirk, a shadow of the goofy grin that showed itself when he was around his friends. He looked around himself, suddenly realizing that the sun had finally set and he was surrounded by darkness. And so he started back to the house he had lived in since he could remember.

************

The walk back to the Dursleys' was shorter than he would have liked. The lights were on in almost all of the downstairs rooms. Through one of the windows he could see the television was on, well all of them were on, including the one near the dining table where the uptight family sat. Apparently they hadn't bothered waiting for him. Then again, he doubted that they knew he had left. Harry approached the front door and reached up to the porch lamp, feeling behind it until he found the spare key. The Dursleys' were unnervingly paranoid. As if a locked door would keep _his_ lot out. He unlocked the door and quickly slid the key back up to its hiding place. He entered and closed the door quietly behind him, not wanting to deal with whatever insults or inquiries that were going to be thrown at him if Vernon and Petunia decided to suddenly become threatened by the fact that he was out a lot. They would probably come up with something ridiculous, it wouldn't be hard for them to do so.

Harry took to the stairs, climbing quickly to the second landing. "BOY!" His uncle bellowed. The sound of Harry's feet on the stairs must have alerted them to his presence in the house and he mentally kicked himself for being so loud. "Get down here now!" Harry sighed, reluctant to obey his uncle. He was so close to his room, so close to sanctuary from his family. But if he didn't indulge him then the purple faced man would soon come up let yell at him in his room. Harry sighed in frustration and turned on his heel, bounding down the stairs and through the small hall. He stood a few feet away from his family, the kitchen counter separating an already segregated household. Uncle Vernon stood at the head of the table while Dudley sat at the other end, not paying an ounce of attention to him. Aunt Petunia sat in between them, looking frightfully at her husband and then back at her nephew.

For a few seconds the only sounds were that of the shows on the televisions blaring on and merging together as well as that of Dudley's utensils scraping against his plate. Then, Vernon spoke. "Boy, I'm sick and tired of all your funny business." He began, moving away from the table in a jerky fashion. Harry rolled his eyes, the urge to suppress the action coming too late to his brain. This set Vernon off, "I mean it boy! All this wandering around you're doing is bothering the neighbors. It's bad enough that you look odd but acting it in public at this age is-"

"_Maybe I don't care what the bloody neighbors think!"_ Harry exclaimed, cutting the older man off. Vernon sputtered, his eyes bulging. It wasn't the first time that Harry had spoken back to his Uncle but it still seemed to surprise him when he did. "I _don't care_ what anyone thinks anymore! Why can't you just leave me alone the way you used to?"

A cold wind blew through the room, ruffling Harry's hair and unsettling his family even more. The lights flickered overhead and Harry knew that his anger was getting the best of him. It was beginning to spill over and affect his surroundings.

"Now listen here boy-" Vernon moved toward him, the anger building in his voice. Harry had always been a thorn in his side, the only thing that kept him from living a normal life. And now he was becoming more difficult than usual.

Harry drew his wand, a reflexive instinct he had developed. Aunt Petunia gave a quiet yelp and reached for her son protectively. Vernon staggered back before his senses came to him. He sneered, "You're not allowed to use that rubbish out of that wretched school of yours. You wouldn't-"

"Didn't I just say that I don't care anymore?" He pointed his wand at his uncle, all of his resentment toward the man bubbling up in him. The reality was that he did care. About never going to Hogwarts again. It was all he had now. That thought stopped the anger within him and the breeze settled. He needed to go back to Hogwarts.

Harry's breath came hard through his nose; his mouth was pressed into a thin line. The Dursleys' stared at him – or really they stared at his wand- and no one said anything.

Needless to say, Harry regretted listening to his uncle. _They aren't worth being expelled over. They proved that last summer. Just get out of here…_

Harry lowered his wand, glowering at his uncle. "Sod off and leave me alone."

And then Harry was the wind. He turned on his heel and fled from the kitchen, bounding up the stairs to his room. The door to his small room slammed behind him and Hedwig hooted disapprovingly from within her cage. "Sorry Hedwig." He mumbled as he listened for any movement downstairs. Maybe they would just lock him in his room and be done with it. Or, maybe, just maybe, they would actually listen and leave him alone.

He turned to Hedwig, who shifted uncomfortably in her cage, deciding something very quickly. She was better off going to Ron's earlier on than just sitting in her cage the whole time. He crossed the tiny room to her cage and opened the door. Then, he promptly opened the window. "Hedwig, I think it's best you head to the Burrow before me. I don't think both of us should be cooped up here until then." Hedwig flapped her wings in agreement after leaving her cage. She sat on the windowsill for a moment, considering him. He knew she was a smart owl, she could probably read his mind in her own way. This was why she hadn't left yet. Harry gave the snowy owl a knowing look. "I'll be fine. I can handle myself." He said. Hedwig considered him for a moment longer but then decided that he was right and took off.

He watched until she blended in with the shadows of the night and then shut the window. Did he envy her freedom, her ability to go almost everywhere she please? Yes, he did; but could he be blamed? Really? He didn't like being kept in the dark, being protected by friends when it was he who should be protecting them. And hadn't enough people died for him? First his parents, then Cedric and Sirius… Harry's chest contracted mechanically at the thought of his late godfather. He had been trying to be so strong in front of everyone while he was at school. However, when he got back to the Dursleys' Harry withdrew into himself. Something like that was easier to hide on paper than it was in person.

He shut the window and moved away from it, almost tripping over the trunk that was protruding from in front of his bed. It was only then that he noticed it. A crimson, perfect red apple sat on his bedspread, glinting in the dim light of his room.

Harry furrowed his brow, scrutinizing it carefully. Where had it come from? For a second, he fooled himself into thinking that perhaps his Aunt could have snuck in while he was letting Hedwig out. _Yeah, right. Brilliant deduction Harry, especially when you practically scared the knickers off her just five minutes ago._ He stared at it, unsure of how he should approach it. He had been active in the Wizarding World long enough to know that everything wasn't as it seemed. But… what harm could an apple do?

Harry grabbed it and instantly regretted doing so. The air left his lungs as he suddenly found himself airborne, grasping onto the apple for dear life. His scar prickled peculiarly. He couldn't see where he was, the wind was whipping around him so hard that it was painful.

And then he hit the ground, so hard that he the wind was knocked out of him again. His mouth opened and he sucked in air greedily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He blinked and focused his eyes behind his glasses. The canopy above him was thick and green. And dripping.

A thick drop landed on his forehead and then another on his arm. He sat up quickly, looking around. He was in a lush forest, surrounded by trees and moss and wet wood. The leaves above him were so clustered together that there was very little sky to see from where he was. _Where the hell…_ He began to question his whereabouts when he remembered the apple. He stood up, searching wildly for it. It was a Portkey. How on earth did a Portkey end up in his room? In a place he was supposed to be safe, no less. He searched the ground near where he had landed, noting that more drops were falling on him from above now and more rapidly. The rain was there but the apple was gone.

* * *

**So, what do yuo guys think? This is just the first chapter and I have chapters two and three done, but before I post them I'd like to know what you all think! R & R please, it's my first story in a while, lol.**


	2. Ancient Trucks Welcome You

_A thick drop landed on his forehead and then another on his arm. He sat up quickly, looking around. He was in a lush forest, surrounded by trees and moss and wet wood. The leaves above him were so clustered together that there was very little sky to see from where he was. __Where the hell…__ He began to question his whereabouts when he remembered the apple. He stood up, searching wildly for it. It was a Portkey. How on earth did a Portkey end up in his room? In a place he was supposed to be safe, no less. He searched the ground near where he had landed, noting that more drops were falling on him from above now and more rapidly. The rain was there but the apple was gone._

2. Ancient Trucks Welcome You

* * *

"Bloody hell…" He murmured after giving up looking for the apple. If it was still there he would have seen it. It would have definitely stood out seeing as it was the only thing that wasn't green or brown in the entire area. He checked his pockets, finding that his wand and his wallet were still there. At least those hadn't disappeared like the Portkey did. Of course something like this would only happen to him. Seamus Finnigan had never been tricked into using a Portkey twice in less than three years. "Why is it always me?" He sighed, kicking a mossy tree stump. _Stop moping, you idiot, you need to find your way out of here._

"Oh, right…" Harry probably knew little more than Draco Malfoy did when it came to surviving in the wilderness but he knew he wasn't far from a road. He could hear cars passing when he listened very carefully. He began heading in the direction the sound was coming from, making sure to look behind him every once in a while to ensure he wasn't going around in circles. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

It was getting darker and for every bit of light he noticed fading his speed increased until he was literally hurtling himself through the forest.

He wasn't sure where he was, so doing any sort of magic was out of the question. He was still underage. But he couldn't very well go on without any source of light. He resolved to do what he had to if he didn't reach the road. The passing cars had gone silent and he had no idea where he was going. If he was still heading toward the road it would be a miracle.

All at once that forest gave way and he hurled himself onto the slick gravel of the road side, where he immediately lost his footing and fell, sprawling to the ground. _Coordination has always been a problem of mine._ He thought sourly, pushing himself up off the ground. His knee was throbbing but he paid it no mind and stepped onto the road. The darkness around him was eerily uncanny to the shadows that had swallowed Hedwig and had enveloped him as he walked to the Dursleys' house. He checked his watch only to see that it was cracked and no longer working. The hands were stuck on 8:13 pm. _How long was I out there?_ What he would give for a working clock right now.

"Alright... So I'm at the road. What do I do now?" He swallowed and looked up, reaching up and locking his hands behind his head. It gave him something to do other than just stand there. The night sky was covered by clouds. If it had been visible, he was sure that the stars would have shone brightly without the lights of a city nearby. Instead all he saw was clouds. All he felt was the light rain that fell every now and then. There seemed to be no cars on the road and the longer he stood there, the longer he wondered which direction the nearest city was and if he should start walking toward it. It was potentially problematic to walk in one direction and not find anything but road when the other direction was probably where the closest town was.

His knee was beginning to bother him, throbbing and shooting darts of pain up his thigh. He had experienced worse pain before but none had been as... troublesome. It was like someone was poking him with a quill nonstop just to get his attention. It was annoying.

He leaned down, immediately seeing that his jeans were torn at the knee. And that he was bleeding. It wasn't a bad wound, it could have been worse and deeper, with his luck it probably would get infected soon. He made a face at his leg, wishing that there was a spell to heal cuts. He would probably be an expert at that one by now. And Madame Pomfrey wouldn't look at him with a bored expression every time he ventured into the infirmary.

He heard the vehicle before he saw it. The sound of an ancient engine roared behind him, taking him by surprise. Harry jumped and fell backward onto the pavement as the headlights of truck came around the corner. Not a very good place to be. The truck came closer and Harry jumped up from the ground, still standing in the road. The driver noticed him immediately and stepped on their brakes, a loud scream emanated from the truck as it came to a halt. The driver door opened immediately and a young girl around his age jumped out. She stopped by the front of her truck, eyeing him as Hedwig had when she left. _I look a mess; I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks I'm an axe murderer._

Harry swallowed hard, not sure if he should say something to her. He knew that he needed to say something, but what? A cheerful hello didn't seem to fit the occasion.

"Are you alright?" She finally asked, her voice flat but filled with concern. So he wasn't in the U.K. anymore. She spoke with an American accent and drove on the right side of the road. _How the bloody hell did I get here?_

She came closer when he didn't answer, something he didn't expect her to do. At least he could see her better now, though. She had thick brown hair that fell past her shoulders in soft curls and pale skin. He couldn't see her face perfectly due to the headlights being behind her. He closed his eyes behind his glasses and swallowed again. "To be honest, " He began, his voice hoarse, "No, I'm not..."

It turns out that an apple can do more harm than expected.

* * *

**Yes, I know, this chapter is shorter but the next one is longer, don't worry about that. And I promise, if I can get up to 30 reviews by the time I post chapter four, it will be one longg chapter! So get to reviewing!**

**And I'm happy to say that this story has been put on TEN Story Alerts so far!**

**Kate-Fach  
****KrisiMwahz  
****Lunezx  
****Manda Mcdowall  
****Sable Gloom  
****TGIF but only once a week  
****laisidhiel  
****wolfspeaker01  
******

And has been favorited twice!  
**  
KrisiMwahz  
****Unidentified Writing Object**

..   
JMandrake

**Thanks guys, I'm glad you all like it! :]**


	3. Imaginary Swans are Flying

**Alrighty gang! Third chapter is up. Just to let you know, Every few chapters will be in Bella's Point of View or any such other character I may feel like writing through. Harry's not the only one telling the story! :] ENJOYYYY**

* * *

_She came closer when he didn't answer, something he didn't expect her to do. At least he could see her better now, though. She had thick brown hair that fell past her shoulders in soft curls and pale skin. He couldn't see her face perfectly due to the headlights being behind her. He closed his eyes behind his glasses and swallowed again. "To be honest, " He began, his voice hoarse, "No, I'm not..."_

_It turns out that an apple can do more harm than expected._

* * *

3. Imaginary Swans Are Flying

"Bye Jake!"

"See ya Bella!" Jacob called back to me from the front of his house, waving energetically. I smiled at him from the driver side mirror. Going over to Billy Black's house with Charlie had been a good idea. He needed to spend more time with his friends. Charlie was staying to watch a game with Billy and was going to drive home with him after.

I had made the excuse to leave by saying that I was tired. I really was though. I just wanted to go back to Charlie's house, go up to my room and fall into bed. And, assuming that Edward was there, I would fall asleep next to him.

Then again, Edward was always there, so no worries about my plans. Everything was going perfect today, nothing could possibly go wrong.

I left La Push just as the sun was setting, getting on the lonely highway that led to Forks. That was really a perfect way to describe it as this time of day. Lonely. All the traffic from Port Angeles had passed through already and very few people were actually on this road now. The engine of my ancient pick-up could probably be heard for miles ahead and behind me in the quiet.

The air was still warm at night. I had learned first hand that summers on the Olympic Peninsula weren't all that different from the springs. Rainy, humid and all together very moist. My hair was like brown fuzz on my head. And it annoyed the hell out of me. The most I could do was brush it out and put it in a ponytail, which I hadn't bothered to do tonight. I probably should have though. The AC was working full blast in the cab of my truck and the radio was playing low. A song I'd heard before but didn't acknowledge. The comforting roar of my engine (hey, if it's still working, it's comforting) as I came around a corner kept me at ease. That was, until someone jumped up in the road. And was just... standing there.

My eyes the size of dinner plates, I stepped on the brake, hard. The truck screeched in protest but stopped. It was a boy. Well, not really a boy. A teenager. A very dirty looking teenager. And his leg was bleeding. _Oh, gross..._ I grimaced but figured that with the way he looked, he must have needed help. So, I pushed open the door and climbed out of the truck and walked toward him. I wanted to go closer but I stopped next to the front of the truck, just in case he was crazy or something. Edward's warnings had taught me something after all.

He didn't say anything. He was staring at me, or really squinting at me from behind a pair of messed up glasses. There was dirt and grime all over him and his clothes looked like they were glued to him, with the exception of his ripped jeans. He was skinny and average in height. He was still taller than me though (Everyone seems to be...) and he looked lean. One thing I did notice about him was his eyes. They were so green. Almost exactly like the color of most of the vegetation around us. I mean, they were like... "Wow green", you know? I also noted that he had a strange scar on his forehead. Shaped like a lightning bolt. Under any other circumstance, that would have been awesome. Now, it was just something to remember.

"Are you alright?" I finally asked, shifting my weight uncomfortably. He didn't answer me, just kept staring. I bit my lip and mover a little closer to him, to get a better look. Maybe he had a head wound or something. It would have been rude of me to ask if he could actually talk at all. I wanted to reach out and touch him. To see if he was real or if he would react. I mean, he hadn't said anything-

"To be honest," His voice was hoarse and it just made me feel worse for him, "No, I'm not." Oh, he had an accent. He wasn't from around here, was he?

I nodded, as if I understood where he was coming from. "What are you doing out here?" I asked with concern. He looked worse for wear but I wasn't about to help a total stranger without knowing why he was in the situation he was in. Edward would kill me if I picked up a dirty hitch-hiker without knowing anything. Then again, he would probably do it just because I picked up a hitch-hiker. At least I had learned something from him, right? I wasn't just letting the guy just jump into my car.

British Guy shrugged when he answered. "I don't know... One minute I was... And then I ended up here... The apple..." Both of my eyebrows raised. Okay... This guy was nuts. And not only that but he wasn't giving me anything to go on.

"Where am I?" He asked, moving toward me. Reflexively I jumped back, bumping into the bumper (ironic, right?) lightly. "You're just outside of Forks in Washington. On the Olympic Peninsula."

"In America?" He asked, sounding baffled.

My eyebrows couldn't rise any higher. I nodded slowly. "Yes, in America."

He frowned and seemed to be working something out in his head. Not too happy about that piece of news, was he? I couldn't blame him though. I'd be frustrated too if I were British Guy. "Do you know how you got here?" I asked him curiously and he shook his head quickly. Everything had been slow responses until then. Maybe he was catching up to himself. Either that or he didn't want to tell me. I could respect that.

I felt like I was interrogating him. Maybe that skill came from having a father as a cop. It was certainly coming in handy. And British Guy didn't seem all that curious about me so I might at well find out all I need to know about him now. Though... I probably should have started with his name. "Uh... What's your name?" I asked him, tilting my head to one side. He deliberated for a second; I could almost see the cogs and gears working in his head. _Don't tell me he forgot his own name._

"James." He finally said, "James Evans." I nodded. His name was James, or so he said. Ever since I was nearly mauled by a vampire named James, I haven't been too crazy about that name. However, just because my last encounter with the name James didn't turn out well, the name couldn't be taboo, I highly doubted that it was.

"Okay James Evans, I'm Bella." I had considered adding my last name as well but decided against it. He was kind of out of it and who knows what he could have done or been doing. _On second thought... Maybe I should tell him my last name. And my dad's job._

"Swan."

He looked confused and then turned his head to look behind him. "Where?" Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?" James turned back to face me. "You said there was a swan."

Oh. I laughed despite myself. "No, I meant that Swan is my last name. My dad is the police chief around here."

Comprehension dawned on his face and he chuckled dryly at his mistake. Or at his dumb lucky, coming across the police chief's daughter so quickly. Maybe it was both. "Well... Nice to meet you, Bella Swan." He said with a smirk.

I imitated it. "Likewise, James Evans."

* * *

**HOLY CANOLLI, within the space of less than TWO DAYS, the Story Alerts went up from only 10 to a staggering (at least for me) total of 24!!! WOW, let me tell you all, I feel so special! **

**And to answer phoenixi77's question : No this is not a slash story. I have no problem with homosexuality in real life ( one of my best friends in fact is gay and I love him to pieces!) but I don't think I could write it. At least, not well. Bella is with Edward, Emmett with Rosalie, Alice with Jasper and Esme with Carlisle. I have not decided if I'm going to create a romantic interest for Harry yet so tell me what you think! Your input is definitely appreciated and encouraged! :]**

**And because I'm in such a good mood today, how about an excerpt from chapter four? I think that's a good idea too xD.**

**…..  
****….  
****…  
****..  
****.**

4. Bumpy Roads, Grumpy Kids

The terrain was bumpier now, he realized, as they had turned off the main road. He hadn't even noticed that. The small phone on the seat moved with every jostle of the cab. The road they were on was not paved but obviously used enough that there was very little vegetation in the way. However, the sides of it were packed with bushes and trees. He was back in a forest again, going God-knows-where with a girl he barely knew. At least this road wasn't long though. He noticed lights ahead of them now. As they drove through an ivy covered arch he realized they were house lights. They had driven into a large lawn, devoid of any trees or plants. Even if there had been a jungle in the lawn, though, it wouldn't have been able to mask the imposing house that stood before them; an immaculate white house, modern in design and big enough to hold more than half of Hogwarts' Great Hall in it. Harry struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. The house seemed so out of place in the middle of the forest, it was more likely that you would find one of these houses in a very upscale neighborhood instead. Bella parked precariously on the lawn and turned off the truck. He expected her to get out but instead she turned to face him.

"James," She said, brushing some of her dark hair behind an ear. "I'm sorry for… well all this secrecy and everything… I know how exasperating it is when everyone knows about something you don't and won't tell you." He glanced at her skeptically. It was possible that no one knew more than he how that felt. She swallowed. "I was really being truthful about my friend who works at the hospital though, he does live here-"

"What is it that you're trying to tell me Bella?" Harry asked sharply, cutting her off. Her forehead creased in thought and conflict and she opened her mouth to speak; but her eyes suddenly drew themselves away from his face to his window. There were two sharp raps on the window behind him and he jumped, looking behind him; his hand on his wand in his pocket. A blond man with a good-natured smile stood there, looking into the cab warmly. He was strikingly handsome, his skin paler than Bella's or even his own in comparison and dark circles under his eyes , as if he hadn't slept in ages. What was most captivating about him though, were his eyes. They were a deep honey, a most unusual eye color. Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise but the man just smiled at him.

"Carlisle." Bella breathed…

**R & R!!**


	4. Bumpy Roads, Grumpy Kids

**Okay, first let me say that I saw Twilight and I thought it was AWESOME. I was having, like, hear palpitations in the movie theater during half the movie. I had to go to the restroom SO Badly after the first fifteen minutes of the movie but I was so mesmerized that I couldn't leave the theater! I had to RUN to the bathroom like two hours later. I loved it, absolutely LOVED IT.**

**Anywho, I'm in the happiest mood right now, so let me tell ALL OF YOU, MY WONDERFUL READERS, HOW MUCH I ADORE AND APPARECIATE YOU. 55 STORY ALERTS. MAGICAL MOTHER OF MERLIN! With the combination of the story alerts and the reviews, I've kept my promise and made chapter four longer than the other three chapters. I told you all I would, didn't I?**

**But it is imperative that you actually review after reading this because I need your help. I have decided that I will bring in an OC for Harry's romantic interest. The OC is a girl, a witch and you will all see how it plays out and everything. The only problem is that I can't, for the life of me, think of a good name for her! I've used Selena in my other stories and it's not her by any definition so I don't want to keep using that name over and over… I was actually thinking of something like Amelia, Mia for short but I don't think it would go well… I REALLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT GUYS! Okay, on with the story, I'll stop babbling.**

_"James." He finally said, "James Evans." I nodded. His name was James, or so he said. Ever since I was nearly mauled by a vampire named James, I haven't been too crazy about that name. However, just because my last encounter with the name James didn't turn out well, the name couldn't be taboo, I highly doubted that it was._

_"Okay James Evans, I'm Bella." I had considered adding my last name as well but decided against it. He was kind of out of it and who knows what he could have done or been doing. __On second thought... Maybe I should tell him my last name. And my dad's job._

_"Swan."_

_He looked confused and then turned his head to look behind him. "Where?" Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?" James turned back to face me. "You said there was a swan."_

_Oh. I laughed despite myself. "No, I meant that Swan is my last name. My dad is the police chief around here."_

_Comprehension dawned on his face and he chuckled dryly at his mistake. Or at his dumb lucky, coming across the police chief's daughter so quickly. Maybe it was both. "Well... Nice to meet you, Bella Swan." He said with a smirk._

_I imitated it. "Likewise, James Evans."_

* * *

4. Bumpy Roads, Grumpy Kids

In the cab of the old pick-up Harry could see Bella Swan much better. It was dark but the dashboard lights lit up her face enough that he could see her. Her skin looked paler, almost deathly pale in the light but her eyes were something different. They were brown, he could tell. Hermione's eyes were brown too and seemed to shine whenever she became passionate about something. Bella's eyes seemed deep and passionate themselves. He caught himself staring at her enough that she took notice as well; or at least he thought she did. It was hard to tell with her and he was never very good at judging how people felt.

He hoped that she didn't regret offering him a ride into town. Well, she didn't really offer it to him. She offered it to James Evans. His father's name and his mother's last name. It was the only thing he could think of without making it seem to obvious. She was eyeing him out of the corner of her eye now and he shifted uneasily under her gaze. His hand went down to his pocket where in his wand sat. His safe guard. He stopped fidgeting.

"I have a friend who works at the hospital." She said suddenly, breaking the silence in the car. "You should really get that knee looked at. It could get infected and I should know. I'm the Queen of Clumsy." She said with a light laugh.

He chuckled at her description of herself and nodded. "I could see that." He said with a goofy grin. She rounded on him, looking at him quickly with narrowed eyes. "Hey! You weren't supposed to agree with that. You don't even know me." She said indignantly. He laughed again and leaned back into the seat. It was the first real laugh in months. And it felt good. Bella Swan was entertaining if she was anything at all.

"I have a boyfriend, you know." She said, moving on from the topic of her clumsiness. So she had noticed him staring at her. Harry's cheeks warmed in a blush and he turned away from her to look out the window. "He has no competition from me. I just want-" He stopped himself there. Did he really want to go back? Back home to the constant threat of death and loss? Back home to being cooped up and hid away from the world that was looking to him to save them?

They had entered town now and the lights of the small buildings lit the cab up much better. He turned back to her and she was listening expectantly. "I just want to sleep." He finished. And it was true. An exhaustion that he never knew was overtaking him now and he just wanted to sleep. She nodded, smiling just a bit before braking at a stop light. Suddenly, the cab was filled with the sound of a ringing telephone. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the source of the sound. He blinked at it in disbelief. It was a small phone. She flipped it open and put it to her ear. There was no way it actually worked.

"Hey Edward." She said and he heard a murmur. Merlin's beard, it did work! The murmur on the line continued and she shifted her gaze to him, a curious look on her face. "What did Alice say?" Another murmur. "Really? Is Carlisle at work or is he with you?" More murmuring. He was starting to get frustrated. He wanted to know what she was talking about with whoever Edward was. She suddenly looked doubtful, as if considering something Her eyes strayed back to him, considering him as she had before. Harry felt a knot tie in his stomach, nervous for some reason. There was no way that anyone would know he was here. Or even what his real name was. The murmuring continued until she suddenly shook her head. "No Edward, I'm already in my car. I'll just turn around and take him over there."

"Over where?" He couldn't help but ask and she put her hand with the palm out, signaling Harry not to talk. The light had long turned green and was on yellow now. It quickly turned red again and Harry's impatience was bothering him now. So was his knee. How did this Edward know that he was with Bella? And who was Alice?

Bella's face took on a skeptical look and she rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, nothing has happened beside my picking him up on the side of the road. It's not like-" She was cut off by whatever Edward was saying and she suddenly looked worried. "Alright." She suddenly took the wheel of the old truck and her foot of the brake, turning the truck sharply in the road. The truck lurched unsteadily and tires squealed in protest but it turned and Bella began driving again; to where, Harry had no idea. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach and he began to wonder if opening the door and jumping out would be worth it.

"I'll be there in a few." She said before closing the phone and tossing it on to the seat next to her. Finally able to talk without interrupting her conversation, Harry spoke, his alarm creeping into his voice, "Where are you taking me?"

She didn't look at him though her expression was conflicted. "Bella! Where are you taking me?!" He asked again, this time a little more fiercely. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong. She turned to him, a bright smile on her face suddenly. His contrasted in a deep frown. "Remember that friend I told you about? The one that works at the hospital? Well, he's at home so I figured it would be easier just to go see him there. It's closer than the hospital anyway…"

Her voice trailed off, the look on his face telling her that he didn't buy what she was saying for a minute. Bella bit her lip as she drove and Harry shifted in his seat, staring out the windshield of the truck. Silence permeated the cab before Harry decided to ask her something that had been bothering him. "How did they know I'm with you?" His voice was soft but accusing in a sort of way, as if she had betrayed him. Bella stiffened next to him and pursed her lips. But was it in frustration? Annoyance? Anger? Or was it… fear? Was she afraid of him figuring something out that he shouldn't? Harry narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her. It was natural to hide something from someone you didn't know, but not if it was about them. He had been dealing with that his entire life and he was sick of it. He turned to her again, expecting an answer he knew wouldn't come. She stared forward, concentrating hard on driving. She was obviously not comfortable now, not as comfortable as she had been before Edward's call.

The terrain was bumpier now, he realized, as they had turned off the main road. He hadn't even noticed that. The small phone on the seat moved with every jostle of the cab. The road they were on was not paved but obviously used enough that there was very little vegetation in the way. However, the sides of it were packed with bushes and trees. He was back in a forest again, going God-knows-where with a girl he barely knew. At least this road wasn't long though. He noticed lights ahead of them now. As they drove through an ivy covered arch he realized they were house lights. They had driven into a large lawn, devoid of any trees or plants. Even if there had been a jungle in the lawn, though, it wouldn't have been able to mask the imposing house that stood before them; an immaculate white house, modern in design and big enough to hold more than half of Hogwarts' Great Hall in it. Harry struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. The house seemed so out of place in the middle of the forest, it was more likely that you would find one of these houses in a very upscale neighborhood instead. Bella parked precariously on the lawn and turned off the truck. He expected her to get out but instead she turned to face him.

"James," She said, brushing some of her dark hair behind an ear. "I'm sorry for… well all this secrecy and everything… I know how exasperating it is when everyone knows about something you don't and won't tell you." He glanced at her skeptically. It was possible that no one knew more than he how that felt. She swallowed. "I was really being truthful about my friend who works at the hospital though, he does live here-"

"What is it that you're trying to tell me Bella?" Harry asked sharply, cutting her off. Her forehead creased in thought and conflict and she opened her mouth to speak; but her eyes suddenly drew themselves away from his face to his window. There were two sharp raps on the window behind him and he jumped, looking behind him; his hand on his wand in his pocket. A blond man with a good-natured smile stood there, looking into the cab warmly. He was strikingly handsome, his skin paler than Bella's or even his own in comparison and dark circles under his eyes , as if he hadn't slept in ages. What was most captivating about him though, were his eyes. They were a deep honey, a most unusual eye color. Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise but the man just smiled at him.

"Carlisle." Bella breathed, almost in relief. _He must be the friend she was talking about._ Harry noted. Carlisle opened his door for him and Harry tentatively turned back to look at Bella, but she was already being helped out by another man, this one with bronze colored, unruly hair. His eyes were the same topaz color as Carlisle's but there was a very different feeling in them as he glowered at Harry. He, in turn, jumped out of the truck, wincing as he landed on his hurt leg. It was only then that Harry noticed how tall Carlisle actually was. Harry was probably no taller than five feet and seven inches. He usually had to look up when speaking to Ron but Carlisle was even taller than Ron. The blond man towered over him. He felt more like a child than he ever did when he was growing up at that moment. Carlisle's eyes depicted concern and he eyed Harry's injured knee. "Let's check that out in better lighting, hmm?" His voice was soothing and comforting. A father's voice more than a doctor's. For some reason, Harry wanted very much to put all of his trust into this man. He didn't even know him but Harry let the older man lead him to the house, Bella and the boy he assumed was Edward, following close behind.

They were speaking in hushed tones behind him as the four of them moved slowly toward the house. He tried to linger, training his ear on Bella and Edward and straining to hear what they were saying but Carlisle's hand on his arm was surprisingly strong. Carlisle propelled him forward at comfortable pace and it was only in the heat of the night that Harry realized how cold his hands were. Harry attempted to look back at Bella and Edward and saw them a few steps back, both looking very serious. Edward snapped his head toward Harry at almost break-neck speed; the expression on Edward's face toward Harry hadn't changed. Angry ocher eyes met Harry's confused green and he yelped involuntarily, turning back to the house he was approaching. Carlisle thought it was his leg that caused him to yelp and slowed his pace as they advanced on the front door. The walk from the truck took less time than he thought it would and before he had time to think about it, Carlisle was ushering him inside the house. Before him was a large room, open in space and decorated tastefully in light colors. The furniture was sparse but looked expensive and comfortable but not worn. The overall affect was homey but not so completely, as if they could just gather everything and be gone within a day. He was led to a leather recliner and he sat down gingerly, still too confused to form a coherent sentence. What exactly was going _on_ here? And what the hell was Edward's problem?

It was only as he looked around at the room then that he realized Carlisle was gone and a petite woman was entering the room, watching him tentatively. She too was beautiful but at the same time she looked amazingly kind. Her eyes, the same color as Carlisle's and Edward's, traced over him with concern as she approached, lingering momentarily on his wounded knee before sliding back to his face. Her hair was long and wavy and perfectly in place, even as she leaned down before him, a comforting smile lining her face. In the midst of feeling bemused, frightened and worried, this woman's presence filtered through him and gave him the comfort her smile promised. "Don't worry dear," she reached up and smoothed his hair out of his face in a motherly fashion, her eyes taking in his scar, "You'll be fine once Carlisle fixes up your leg." Harry nodded at her numbly before he heard footsteps from the doorway. He looked, seeing Bella and Edward coming in, both looking agitated in their own fashion due to their discussion. Edward avoided looking at him now and stared, unblinking at almost anything else in the room but him. Bella however, made a beeline for him, standing next to the recliner and not looking at his leg, or at least, attempting not to. It was his impression that Bella didn't like the sight of blood because of this so he leaned forward and shifted his pant leg to hide his knee. He stared down a while longer, taking the moment to sort out his thoughts in what he thought was the privacy of his own mind. His main priority was finding out what Bella had been trying to tell him before, the other was finding out what was going on. If the two were related it was even better because he could find it all out at once.

The petite woman had left him and gone over to Edward and Bella followed; a frown on her face as if she didn't know where she should stand. Seeing as she was the only person he actually knew, he would have preferred that she stay next to him but at that very second Edward took a hold of Bella's hand and pulled her over to him, eyeing Harry again with distrust. Had he more energy, Harry would have reciprocated the look but instead he turned away from the trio and leaned into the armchair. Carlisle entered the room again with a black leather bag in hand, followed by a girl with spiky, short brown hair that just grazed below the bottoms of her ears. Her eyes were the same as Edward's and she too was strikingly beautiful and walked with all the grace of a dancer. Harry suddenly wondered if all the beautiful people in the world were somehow related to this family and a chuckle rose from where Bella, Edward and the older woman stood. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion and turned to look for the source of the sound in such a tense environment but found that Carlisle was suddenly in front of him and rolling up his pant leg. Harry blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to speak but Carlisle cut him off genially, "I see you've met my wife, Esme." He said before looking up from his bag. "This is Alice and that's Edward." He continued, nodding in the direction of either one. Alice gave him a bright smile and nodded in greeting to him. Harry, awed by her, smiled feebly in return, a blush tinting his cheeks lightly. She giggled at his response and he ducked his head sheepishly, suddenly pretending to be very interested in what Carlisle was doing to his leg.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Alice glide over to Bella, Edward and Esme. He was positive they were talking about him. There couldn't have possibly been that much they could say though. Wondering how he got there, why he was there and anything along those lines was not only frustrating because he didn't know that himself, but not talking to him about it was just as bad. Alice, however, didn't seem to have a problem saying anything about it and spoke loud enough for him to hear. "He smells different."

"What?" Bella asked, looking perplexed. Harry turned in the armchair, just as confused, again. Esme and Edward were giving Alice strange looks, urging her to be silent but she answered Bella anyway. "He smells different, I mean, his blood doesn't smell like a normal human's." He could tell by the expression on her face that Bella didn't know what to say. Harry was stunned. What did she mean by that? He knew he wasn't just a normal human, but he hadn't thought that his _blood _smelled different.

Blood purity had never meant anything to him. For Merlin's sake, one of his best friends was a Muggleborn and so was his mother. He knew that his blood held magic in it but could it be detected by a keen nose? It definitely explained why some animals shied away from witches and wizards while others fancied them. But wait a minute… How could Alice smell his blood so easily from so far away? She hadn't come closer than an arm's length and she could suddenly sniff out his scent like a bloodhound? Harry narrowed his eyes as he thought, watching Alice, who was looking at Edward. He however, was not looking at Alice, but was staring at Harry, a mixture of shock and utter disbelief on his face. His eyes snapped back to Alice's and said something in a low tone, too low for him to hear. She smiled slowly and nodded. "I knew it." She said her eyes twinkling like Hermione's did when she told Harry and Ron about a book – or really, in Hermione's case, an ancient tome- she had just finished reading. "Emmett owes me twenty bucks."

Esme looked at Alice disapprovingly. "Alice, you know that you shouldn't make bets like that." Alice shrugged and grinned. "Well, he should know by now not to doubt my hunches. He's not going to be happy about it though."

What? Harry's frustration was building, not liking the direction that the conversation was going in. Did they know? Just because his blood apparently smelled different didn't automatically count him as a wizard. They couldn't possibly know… Could they? And even if they did, how did they figure it out; he hadn't said more than two words since he entered the house and anything he told Bella could hardly have made sense.

He turned back around to look at Carlisle, who was studying him with great interest. These inhumanly beautiful people… All deathly pale with a strange eye color. That was really the only resemblance between them. Their eye color and the pigment of their skin. And Carlisle's hands were cold, as was Esme's when she had brushed his hair out of his face. He vaguely remembered something from third year…

"What are you all?" He asked suddenly, his eyes growing wide. "What's going on?"

Faster than the blink of an eye, Harry was pressed against the leather cushion of the armchair, looking up into the face of Edward Cullen. "Why don't you tell us, _Harry_?"

* * *

**Ohh Cliff-hanger! Oh, I love doing those. But it's sadistic of me, I know. But seriously guys, HELP ME THINK OF A NAME. If I pick the name you choose then I'll give you a shout-out make you feel special and everything! Hell, I might even ask you to describe your basic features so you can make a cameo appearance!  
R & R!**

* * *


	5. Theres Nothing Like Vampiric Hospitality

**Here's chapter five everyone! I'm sorry it took so long. I've been realllllyyy busy. But I know where this story is going so it flows easily out of me, lol. I'll get on with the story now and talk afterward, I know how anxious you all are. Enjoy!**

* * *

"_He smells different."_

"_What?" Bella asked, looking perplexed. Harry turned in the armchair, just as confused, again. Esme and Edward were giving Alice strange looks, urging her to be silent but she answered Bella anyway. "He smells different, I mean, his blood doesn't smell like a normal human's." He could tell by the expression on her face that Bella didn't know what to say. Harry was stunned. What did she mean by that? He knew he wasn't just a normal human, but he hadn't thought that his __blood __smelled different._

_Blood purity had never meant anything to him. For Merlin's sake, one of his best friends was a Muggleborn and so was his mother. He knew that his blood held magic in it but could it be detected by a keen nose? It definitely explained why some animals shied away from witches and wizards while others fancied them. But wait a minute… How could Alice smell his blood so easily from so far away? She hadn't come closer than an arm's length and she could suddenly sniff out his scent like a bloodhound? Harry narrowed his eyes as he thought, watching Alice, who was looking at Edward. He however, was not looking at Alice, but was staring at Harry, a mixture of shock and utter disbelief on his face. His eyes snapped back to Alice's and said something in a low tone, too low for him to hear. She smiled slowly and nodded. "I knew it." She said her eyes twinkling like Hermione's did when she told Harry and Ron about a book – or really, in Hermione's case, an ancient tome- she had just finished reading. "Emmett owes me twenty bucks." _

_Esme looked at Alice disapprovingly. "Alice, you know that you shouldn't make bets like that." Alice shrugged and grinned. "Well, he should know by now not to doubt my hunches. He's not going to be happy about it though."_

_What? Harry's frustration was building, not liking the direction that the conversation was going in. Did they know? Just because his blood apparently smelled different didn't automatically count him as a wizard. They couldn't possibly know… Could they? And even if they did, how did they figure it out; he hadn't said more than two words since he entered the house and anything he told Bella could hardly have made sense._

_He turned back around to look at Carlisle, who was studying him with great interest. These inhumanly beautiful people… All deathly pale with a strange eye color. That was really the only resemblance between them. Their eye color and the pigment of their skin. And Carlisle's hands were cold, as was Esme's when she had brushed his hair out of his face. He vaguely remembered something from third year…_

"_What are you all?" He asked suddenly, his eyes growing wide. "What's going on?"_

_Faster than the blink of an eye, Harry was pressed against the leather cushion of the armchair, looking up into the face of Edward Cullen. "Why don't you tell us, __Harry__?"

* * *

  
_

5. There's Nothing like Vampiric Hospitality

"Edward!" Bella protested from somewhere near the chair. It seemed the only person who had moved in the room was Edward. Even the air was still.

Harry couldn't move, his arms and legs like lead. And if he could move, it was likely to be impossible to leave the chair or retrieve his wand anyway. Edward was too close for him to make any move in his defense. Cold radiated from Edward's skin, defusing the warmth that the leather chair had absorbed from his body. Harry swallowed hard, glaring up into the honey colored eyes that had been eying him suspiciously ever since he had arrived at the house. The confusion was gone from his face but he was still baffled by the situation. There was no possible way that they could have known who he was, was there? The Wizarding World knew who he was, that was obvious. But Bella was a Muggle and Carlisle was a doctor, not a healer.

Harry scrutinized Edward's face before he spoke. "I asked first." It was bold and a stupid but he did it anyway. Why? He didn't bother to ask himself why he acted like that anymore. But it seemed to do the trick. Edward backed off, smoothly standing up. He kept his place in front of the recliner and his vision trained on Harry. Bella came up next to him, looking between the two, finally settling on Harry, seeming to have come to a realization. "You told me your name was James." She said, hurt seeping into her voice. "But it's Harry? I suppose your last name isn't Evans either, is it?"

"It's not, you're right." Harry avoided her gaze. The hurt in her voice caused his chest to tighten. He didn't like lying to Bella. He didn't reckon he liked lying in general. But he had done it for a reason. He couldn't bloody well explain it to strangers though. They wouldn't understand.

"Try us." Edward said suddenly, still staring at him. Harry started, looking at Edward again. "Try what?"

"Try explaining why you lied to Bella when she was just trying to help you." Edward continued.

"You don't have to guilt-trip him Edward, I'm sure he's freaked out enough." Bella said.

Harry's eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him. How Edward had known his name and why he didn't want to explain. Why he had chuckled earlier… "Yes, I can read minds. Congratulations, you get a cookie." Edward supplied sardonically. Bella gave him a disapproving look and crossed her arms. Alice came up next to Edward and hit him on the arm. "Stop it Edward, you know she's right."

Stunned was probably the easiest way that Harry could describe his mood. He leaned forward, the first movement he found himself able to make and ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt like he was eleven years old again, absorbing too much information at once. "I don't… know what's going on." He said finally, not looking up at them. "I don't even know why. But you all seem to think that I know what you are…" He lifted his head and glanced at Alice, whose expression was unfathomable as he spoke. "I reckon I probably do, in some back part of my head but for the life of me, I can't remember what it is." He turned to Edward now, who looked somewhat remorseful after seeing the turmoil of Harry's thoughts.

"Since you read minds, I suppose you already know that I'm-"

"A wizard."

Harry nodded solemnly and stood up from the chair, wobbling a bit on his bandaged leg. He caught himself quickly, looking up when the sound of someone sputtering to speak was heard. He saw Bella, looking shocked beyond belief, staring at him with wide eyes. "_Y-y-you're a wizard?!_ Holy Crow!"

"And I bet you thought your life was complicated enough, right?" Edward said in an unfathomable tone, looking down at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, not knowing how to respond. "Yes and no." She replied cryptically, "I mean, first vampires, now a wizard! What's next, werewolves?"

Vampires? Oh… It made sense now. He remembered one night in third year, when Hermione had been adamant about Ron and him actually studying instead of playing Wizard Chess, especially since Snape had filled in for Professor Lupin and had assigned well over a foot of parchment on werewolves. 'I can't believe he skipped two whole chapters in the book!' Hermione had exclaimed incredulously, as if Snape had committed a mortal sin. Harry and Ron shrugged indifferently, both trying not to fall asleep over their parchment. It was late and Quidditch practice had been running late for Harry recently. Ron was just tired because… well he was Ron. And while neither of the three of them favored Snape in anyway, the two boys had no qualms with him skipping two chapters. It meant less to study underneath his large hooked nose.

Hermione thumbed through the forgotten chapters quickly, trying to absorb their contents again as if she hadn't already read and reread the text more than three times. 'He passed over the chapters about vampires and shape-shifters!' She exclaimed and Ron rolled his eyes. 'We don't need to know much more than that they drink blood and shape-shifters shed like ruddy snakes when they choose too, so I think we're fine Hermione.' Harry had felt the disturbance of air from when Hermione's head shot up from the book, a glare cutting across Harry and hitting Ron square in the face. Harry had shut his eyes long before Ron had spoke but he didn't need to open them to know what was about to happen.

'Since you seem to know everything Ronald,' She had retorted, her voice clipped, 'Then I'm sure you know how to spot a vampire and how to defend yourself against one. Or how a shape-shifter chooses it's form. And by the way, most of them don't _shed_.'

'Vamps are pale and… dead. Not much to it there, is it? And how should I bloody well know how a shape-shifter chooses it's shape-'

'Form.'

"Whatever, it's not as if I'm going to come across one anytime soon.'

'Well, as usual Ronald, you're wrong. Vampires aren't just 'pale and dead' as you so articulately put it. They become a powerful predator whose common abilities and strengths increase tenfold to that of an average man. Their eyes become crimson colored after they've fed and…'

Ron, whose attitude had transferred itself from his voice to his face, pressed her on. 'Well? And what?' He said smugly.

"Well… they're usually very attractive. It's part of their power as a predator.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'That you wouldn't stand a chance against one that's a girl.' Harry had mumbled drowsily from between them.

'Hey!' Ron exclaimed while Hermione had snickered from her side of the table. After that, she went on telling them everything she could on the subject until she realized that Harry had fallen asleep. It figured that Hermione was the one to inform him of vampires rather than an actual teacher. If he hadn't been so tired that night, he probably would have been able to see what Carlisle and his family were right from the get-go.

But thinking of Ron and Hermione… and now –with the mention of werewolves- Remus Lupin, made his chest tighten familiarly. He didn't know if he was going to see them again. He had no money, no prospects and knew no one in America outside of the room he was in at that very moment. And beside that, he had been sent here for a reason and probably would sent back when whatever that was had been resolved. Or at least he hoped that was the case.

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment, willing himself to think of something else. Bella's voice interrupted his thoughts quickly though. He opened his eyes to face her.

"So… You lied because you didn't know if I could be trusted, right? I mean, you didn't know if I was like you or-"

"A Muggle. Precisely." He took in her suddenly confused look and laughed a bit. "Oh… right. Muggles are what we call non-magical folk. And even if you had been a witch, I still would have lied. But you would have known who I was the moment you saw me anyway if that were the case so I wouldn't have needed to."

"Do witches and wizards automatically sense each other or something?" Bella questioned, raising an eyebrow. She sounded so honestly bewildered that he laughed again. If it were only that easy. He would have been mobbed even when he was ten and at the zoo for Dudley's birthday. "No, it's not that… I don't really want to go into it right now." He said, the laugh trailing off to a grimace. He knew that if he went into specifics at the moment he wouldn't be able to handle it well.

"That's understandable dear, you've been through a lot today." Esme said in a motherly tone, coming up next to him and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. She smiled tenderly at him, causing a warm feeling to pass throughout him despite the cold of her hand. He felt safe. Which was strange seeing as he was currently standing in a room with vampires. But they were… different somehow. Their eyes were golden colored, not crimson. And that reminded him, he still didn't understand what was going on, or better yet, how they had known he was even with Bella before.

"Well, since you've held up your end, we should too." Edward said, answering his thoughts, "We're not exactly like the rest of our kind. We don't feed off humans. We're vegetarians, you could say." He said with a small smile. " And certain vampires have… abilities. For instance, I can read minds and Jasper – you'll meet him when your wound heals- can influence emotions. Alice here, "He gestured to the spiky haired girl next to him, "She sees the future. But it's subjective. She only saw you because you were going to meet up with Bella and therefore, meet us."

Well, that cleared things up. "So, that's how you knew I was here… but why were you so _angry_?" This particular fact had been troubling him for a while. What could he possibly do that was so bad? Unless, it wasn't actually him that did it, just something that happened because of him. He was used to things like this, after all, he attracted trouble like a magnet, it was only a matter of time before something found him here.

"Well…" Edward glanced at Alice, who raised her eyebrows at him in response. He shook his head, still looking at her and she gave him an exasperated look. To everyone in the room, this was a normal thing. Edward and Alice often had these silent conversations – as Harry would learn. However, all of this was new and extremely confusing to him. But beside that, there was one thing he gathered from this exchange. And that was that no one wanted to tell him what Alice had seen. Beside him, Esme glanced at Carlisle, who looked troubled in return. Glancing between all of them in turn, he sighed in frustration, shifting his weight off his injured leg. It was silent until a loud, booming peel of laughter echoed throughout the room. Harry jumped, startled by the racket and Carlisle turned toward it just as two other people entered the room. The first, a man, or really, a beast of a man with curly dark hair and gigantic muscles, entered the room with a huge grin on his face. For a second, Harry was sure that he was somehow related to Hagrid due to his size. He shook the assumption off attempted to smile back at the unknown man. However, all sort of facial movement, any movement of his body except his heart –which accelerated in fact- stopped when he caught sight of the woman who entered behind him. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen; with her golden blonde hair that tumbled in waves down her back and the most angelic looking face. Her skin, like all the others, was pale and smooth and if she hadn't been walking, he was sure that she would have been a statue of a goddess. She promptly ignored him, as someone of her stature usually did and glared at Edward instead.

"Another human! Awesome." The huge man said exuberantly as he crossed the room to seat on the couch. The blonde stopped and crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"This is Emmett," Edward said to Harry, gesturing to the couch. Emmett waved and grinned again. "And that is Rosalie." He concluded, with another gesture to the blonde girl, who was now appraising him. Harry swallowed hard and gawked at her stupidly before she spoke, disdain coloring her voice. "So what's so special about _this_ human?"

"You were listening the entire time Rose so you shouldn't have to ask." Alice responded smartly. Rosalie gave Alice a sour look, flipped her hair and went to sit next to Emmett. Harry would have envied Emmett that if it was a normal situation and in fact, he did feel a little twinge of it, looking at the beautiful couple on the couch. But it was obvious that Rosalie didn't approve of his being there, or his existence, really. He glanced at Bella and she gave him a sympathetic look, as if to say that Rosalie didn't like her either and she was sorry he had to endure her disdain as well. He smiled back at her weakly to say it wasn't her fault and hoped she understood. He vaguely registered that someone had begun speaking during this exchange but only realized that it was directed toward him when Carlisle's voice spoke his name.

"…Harry?" Harry turned to Carlisle with a confused look. He looked expectant but after taking in Harry's expression he spoke again, only this time it was to Esme. "Perhaps I should take him to the hospital and give him a room there instead, he looks like he's about to collapse." Esme looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at him again. She was already somewhat protective of Harry. The pain he tried to hide in his eyes, more evident now that he was out of his element, triggered a maternal instinct in her the same as it would if it were one of her children. Harry looked like he needed a mother. "That's up to him." She murmured with a concerned look on her face.

"It's better if he stays here." Alice chimed in, literally. "He'll stay in Edward's room since he hardly uses it at night anyway. It'll be easier to talk with him tomorrow." Bella's cheeks reddened at Alice's words and he wondered why she would blush at that. She ducked her head quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment and Edward chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. Harry looked at Alice. She seemed rather sure of herself, as if it had already been decided. But she was right and he didn't exactly want to go to the hospital anyway. He knew it wouldn't be the same as St. Mungos because it was a Muggle Hospital but it made him feel uneasy all the same. Besides, perhaps he could get someone to tell him what Alice saw after he had a good night's rest. Merlin knows, he needed it. He nodded, agreeing with Alice. "If it's not a problem… I'd rather stay here instead of going to the hospital. The closer the bed, the better." He said with a weak chuckle.

"It's not a problem at all." Carlisle said with a genial smile, speaking for everyone. Rosalie rolled her honey colored eyes on the couch but said nothing. Emmett stood up, still smiling as if he was anticipating something exciting. "I'll show you to the restroom so you can get cleaned up a bit and after that to your room for the evening." Carlisle continued. He turned and said something quietly to Emmett, who nodded and disappeared down the hallway he came from. Rosalie stood up suddenly and followed him, moving so fast that she appeared to be gliding instead of walking. His statement to Bella before was coming back to him. _'I just want… to sleep.'_ It was true, he felt exhausted. He was surprised he was still standing, with the weakness he felt all over. Even the pain in his leg was weak and as he took a step toward the staircase, he staggered a bit. A cold, hard hand took hold of his arm to hold him steady and he saw it was Edward who held him steady. 'Be careful, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself even more." He murmured. Bella stood in front of him now, smiling at him hopefully. Edward released his arm and Harry balanced himself, smiling weakly at her. "See, I told you I was tired." He said.

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "That you did." She replied, brushing some of her hair behind her ears. "You'll be fine here. The Cullens are good people. They'll take care of you." She said with kind confidence. It was obvious that she trusted these vampires very much and Harry had no reason to doubt her judgment. He nodded, "Thank you, Bella." He said, his voice full of gratitude.

'Bella, I think it's time I took you home. You have to beat Charlie there." Edward said from behind Harry and Bella shifted toward him, biting her lip and murmuring "Shoot, I forgot." She looked at Harry again and gave him a tight smile before placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I'll come back over tomorrow." She said, looking in him the eye. It was a promise. She had brought him here so she was determined not to leave him alone there. He nodded and she removed her hand, moving toward Edward. "Around noon, or some time close to that, depending on whether or not I beat my dad home. Bye." He turned to watch her and Edward disappear through the door hand-in hand. It was interesting, that was sure. This entire situation was. Though, he would have more time to mull over it later on, he decided.

Another hand on his shoulder made him turn and there was Carlisle, leading him toward the stairway. Esme and Alice had disappeared from the room, to get clothes for him to wear as he would later learn. Carlisle led him up to the bathroom as he promised and provided him with a towel so that he could shower. It was only while he was showering that he realized how many little cuts he had all over him. They stung from the soap and hot water but the overall effect of the shower was wonderful. He wasn't at all surprised to find pajamas ready for him in the bathroom after he stepped out of the tub and he quickly dried himself and dressed. The clothes were baggy, as he expected, but as much as he was used to. After all, everyone in the household was fitter than Dudley ever had been but Harry was still too lean to really fit into them properly. It was better than nothing though.

He stepped out of the bathroom, readjusting his glasses after cleaning the steam off them and saw Carlisle walking toward him from down the hall. He stopped and beckoned Harry toward him while simultaneously opening the door before him. Harry reached him and peeked inside the room. It was open with large windows lining two walls and shelves of books and Muggle CD cases. In the center of the room and looking very out of place, was a large antique looking bed. The wrought iron of its frame gleamed in the moonlight as did the white satin of the sheets. It looked unbelievably plush and inviting. On a table next to the bed sat a glass of water, his wallet and his wand. He looked at Carlisle and the blond man waved him in, looking slightly amused. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Carlisle said as Harry entered the room, looking around disorientated. He turned when he was inside, looking at Carlisle. "Thank you." He murmured and Carlisle nodded, closing the door.

Harry's head found the pillows of the bed immeasurably fast. His glasses were off less than a second later and Harry didn't even remember getting under the covers fully before he was asleep. But despite their best efforts, Harry's sleep was restless. When he awoke the next day, his scar was prickling furiously and he was panting. This was not good. Not good at all.

* * *

**Sooo, what did you guys think? Hmm? Isn't foreshadowing great?  
Well, anywho, I would just LOVE to thank everyone who commented and gave me names, especially twistypurpletwister, who gave me one awesomely LONG list of names. I have decided on a name though and I would like to thank Nargle Hunter and All the Pretty Horses for giving me her complete name.  
Her name shall be... haha! I'm not going to tell you all now, wait until she makes her appearance. Hehe, She'll be American and I'll give you all her background when she comes so don't worry.  
And you'll all find out what made Edward so mad in the next chapter so keep reading!  
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and i wish everyone an early Merry Christmas! Why? Because I can! haha!**

**R & R!**

**| |  
\/**


	6. I’ve Never Had Good Luck with Seers

**OMG I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! My friend Megan kept distracting me .… So you can all blame her for the delayed posting of this chapter. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! This my present to you all since… well… actually that sounds a bit conceited but whatever, MERRY CHRISTMAS LOVERS! I hope you enjoy this chapter :]. OH and before I get to that, I thought I should mention that this story is featured on over 30 C2s. 32 FREAKIN' C2s! This story also has been alerted almost 200 times! And it's been favorited 83 times! YOU GUYS ROCK, SERIOUSLY! I feel so special and you guys inspire me to write more! So keep reading and review and favorite and do all that special stuff and I'll keep writing to keep you happy! 3 Also, I dedicate this chapter to EssenceOfPhlegm (because your sn rocks), Nargle Hunter, SavageWoman, Spork or Foon (again because of the awesome sn), and Kiah M. Enjoy!**

"_If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Carlisle said as Harry entered the room, looking around disorientated. He turned when he was inside, looking at Carlisle. "Thank you." He murmured and Carlisle nodded, closing the door._

_Harry's head found the pillows of the bed immeasurably fast. His glasses were off less than a second later and Harry didn't even remember getting under the covers fully before he was asleep. But despite their best efforts, Harry's sleep was restless. When he awoke the next day, his scar was prickling furiously and he was panting. This was not good. Not good at all. _

_

* * *

  
_

6. I've Never Had Good Luck with Seers

Harry turned over in the comfortable bed, trying to keep the prying sunlight out of his eyes. His hand clutched his forehead and he sucked air greedily into his chest. The nightmare had felt like it was suffocating him and if that wasn't bad enough, he was sore all over. He groaned, not wanting to shut his eyes again for fear that he would see the remainders of the dream behind his eyelids. He hadn't had a nightmare like that since last year. Not since the incident at the Ministry of Magic. Not since Sirius' death. Harry's chest tightened painfully, adding to the angry throbbing from his scar and the pain of his sore muscles. It was a dull echo of what he had felt while asleep but it was effective enough to remind him of what that meant. Voldemort was attached to his being there, whether he knew it or not. And apparently he didn't, according to his dream.

What was worse, his dream had begun pleasantly. It was pleasant because there _was no dream._ The peacefulness of a deep sleep was shattered by the feeling of being pulled...

_He had been pulled from his bed, through the sky to a dilapidated building and then into a dark room. He had been sitting in it. Or rather, Voldemort had been sitting in it, his impatience growing exponentially. The room was small and dusty, light seeping in slits through the boards on the windows. Dust swirled in and out of the rays through the air, each little particle wanting to have the warmth of the sun touch them before returning to the cold darkness of the shadows. The chair stood facing an unlit fireplace, the wood charred and rotting within it and the tools in disarray. The feet of the chair left imprints in the light layer of dust on the floor. He had never been much of a laborer and these accommodations were only temporary. There was no deed to leave evidence of his residency there when he left._

_There were more important matters to attend to than housework anyway. Nagini curled around his arm, hissing at the arrival of someone behind him. The nervous fluttering of Wormtail's breathing discerned him from the others and he heard the friction of fabric as Wormtail fell into a deep bow. _

"_The news, Wormtail?" He murmured, inclining his head slightly._

_There was a space of silence before Wormtail sputtered to speak, his voice muffled by the bow. "She has made the journey across successfully my Lord."_

"_Good." His lips curled in satisfaction, so after all the waiting, it was happening. His plan was in place, set in motion at last. He would soon have more followers than before should they choose to follow him. If they were smart they would. He would finally be restored back to his full power and have the resources to remove the sixteen year old _thorn_ in his side._

_His musings were cut short by a tentative cough. Wormtail was still there. He assumed that with the message received, Wormtail would have left his presence but apparently there was more to tell. "There's more." He spoke, sounding slightly amused by such a thing. Wormtail was wasting his time; there was so much to do…_

"_My Lord… My most humble apologies but… Harry Potter has gone missing."_

"What?_" Voldemort hissed, incredulous anger bubbling to the surface as he stood from the chair, turning to face the cowering Wormtail in one fluid motion. Wormtail sat on his haunches, arms up and covering his face, trembling noticeably all over. 'Y-y-yes m'Lord… Our informant s-supplied it himself. H-he vanished into thin air." He whimpered, hoping that he would not lash his anger out on him._

_Harry Potter was missing. And while he would have reveled at the thought of his disappearance and most certainly his death once before, now it disappointed him. "So this is how Dumbledore watches out for his so-called saviour." He drawled, chuckling darkly, "What a pity too… send the word out to my followers Wormtail; should anyone see him, they are to take him alive and bring him to me. I will have the satisfaction of killing Harry Potter myself." Wormtail nodded fervently and stood to leave but stopped short suddenly and cast his eyes down. "My Lord… and if he is already dead?"_

_Voldemort returned to his chair and Nagini curled around his shoulders, eyeing Wormtail as if he were lunch. A chuckle rose from his throat, raspy and dry. His crimson eyes closed and a smirk curled onto his snake-like face. "Oh, he's not dead Wormtail, I can _feel_ him alive. It won't be long now, however. That is certain." And then he laughed, and the sound was so rare and frightening that Harry pushed and pulled his way from the room, fighting furiously against whatever force held him there. He shouted but no sound came from his mouth. He tried to breath but did so in vain, his couldn't draw a breath. His forehead was burning and the pain was almost crippling. His eyes watered…_

Harry sat up, his head in his hands. The soft sheets pooled around his torso and they felt cool in comparison to his body. He was sweating but now his breathing was less frantic. This couldn't be happening again. He didn't want it to happen again. He didn't want another person to die for him and he knew that someone would if Voldemort found where he was.

A tentative knocking on the door pulled him from the loud turmoil of his thoughts and back into the quiet room. "Harry? Are you alright?" It was Esme's voice, muffled slightly by the door that stood between them. The door opened and she walked in, or at least he thought it was her. He couldn't see much more than pale blurs. He reached to grab his glasses and winced at the pain in his muscles as he did but he managed to get the spectacles and put them on. Then, he turned and looked back at Esme. She had been joined by Alice and a tall blond who looked extremely uncomfortable. His eyes, like Alice and Esme, were a rich golden brown in color and as he focused in on Harry he felt much calmer. It made no sense but he felt better. The pain in his scar subsided and a rush of relief ran through him.

"Are you alright Harry?" Esme asked again and he nodded, smiling weakly. "I'm fine, thank you."

"This is Jasper." Alice said, looking up at the blond with adoring eyes and a happy smile. Encouraged by this, Jasper inclined his head at Harry in greeting and managed a weak smile but he made no move to come forward and shake his hand. "Hello." Jasper said quietly. Harry wondered briefly why it was that Jasper wasn't as forthcoming as the others were but before he could voice the question Esme answered it for him. "Jasper is the newest member of our family, the newest vegetarian. It's difficult for him to be around humans still, especially ones with injuries." Jasper gave a curt nod to this explanation and Harry immediately felt guilty. He was a burden, an inconvenience as usual. He frowned a bit and cast his eyes down at the bed sheets.

As if she sensed his sadness, Esme was by his side in a second, one of her cold arms around his shoulder. "Come on dear, we've made you breakfast. You'll feel much better after having your fill." She said. He nodded and pulled the covers off of his lower body, getting out of the bed. He walked with Esme downstairs with Alice and Jasper trailing not too far behind. If he remembered correctly, Jasper controlled emotions, which was why he felt so much better when he came into the room. Jasper was staying by to make sure he wasn't in his usual mental anguish. These people were being too kind to him. He didn't really think of think of them as Vampires for some reason. They were probably different from any other vampires he would have met in England because the textbook had only described vampires with red eyes, not gold. He was curious as to why that was actually. But he didn't know who to ask.

The kitchen smelled wonderful and it wasn't until he could full appreciate the smell of eggs and bacon and even the pancakes did he realize that he had smelt it even as he had been coming downstairs; but his mind had been to busy to process them. He sat down where Esme directed him to, which was in front of a plate that was filled completely with delicious smelling food. He couldn't even see the ivory coloring of the plate under all of it. There was a glass filled with orange juice with a full pitcher standing next to it and he blinked at it all at first, not sure if it was all for him. Alice giggled at his expression and urged him on. "It's not poison, we swear."

He looked at the food again and picked up the fork that was next to the plate, dipped it into the eggs and then into his mouth. They were soft and tasted delicious and it wasn't until then that he realized he was ravenous with hunger. He hadn't eaten in almost two days so it was understandable. The next twenty minutes were spent inhaling the food and drink set on the table. He felt slightly embarrassed while he was eating though. All Esme and Alice did was stare at him with amused looks on their faces. Jasper continued to look uncomfortable but made no comment either.

When most of the food was gone and Harry leaned back with a satisfied and drowsy look Esme began sweeping up the plates from the table almost giddily. She would have loved to run a Bed and Breakfast he bet. Harry protested mildly, insisting on helping her clean up – that was, after all, his job in the Dursley household for many years- but she smiled at him and told him that she had it under control and to go look around the house. She seemed to radiate maternal power so he listened and heeded her request, begrudgingly leaving the plates on the table. Alice and Jasper stepped out of the kitchen before him and he followed, not sure where he was going. They ended up in the living room he had been in before. Emmett was there again but he was alone this time and watching something on television. He looked up at Harry's arrival and a grin set on his face again, childish and playful in nature and Harry responded with a smile of his own. It was hard not to smile at Emmett; his smiles were infectious. But Emmett was also extremely intimidating. Harry felt anxious with the hulk of a man offered the other side of the couch to him but accepted anyway, not wanting to see first hand what happened if Emmett was offended in some way.

Emmett was watching Muggle Soccer, which was referred to as Football in America. It was definitely a sport Emmett would have liked, huge men running around a field with a ball, occasionally smacking into each other and being violent. Harry cringed as one man was mercilessly piled upon by others of the opposing team. Emmett guffawed and his ever-present grin spread over his face once more. Apparently he wasn't rooting for that man's team.

Alice and Jasper stayed in the room but at a distance, he was situated in the armchair Harry sat in the night before while she had gracefully plopped herself on one of the arms. There was a moment of silence between them, the only sound in the room being the game on TV. Harry fidgeted a little, pulling on the sleeve of the over-sized shirt he was wearing. He wondered where Edward was and if he was with Bella. He remembered Bella promising to come over at some point during the day if she made it home before her father and he desperately hoped that she did.

It wasn't the fact that the Cullens were vampires that made him feel intimidated. He wasn't at all scared of them (with the exception of Emmett… you couldn't help being scared of him. And Rosalie – just a little), he just felt so plain around them. At least with Bella there he felt slightly normal. He glanced at the analog clock on one of the machines under the TV set and then back at the game he wasn't paying attention to. Merlin only knew where they were...

"Harry." A voice called from the top of the stairs. It was Carlisle. He saw Emmett and Alice exchange glances quickly, almost so fast that he wasn't sure that he actually saw it. Jasper's arm wrapped around Alice gently and she relaxed slightly.

He suddenly felt anxious, wondering what was going on, but he slid off the couch anyway and made his way to the staircase. Carlisle stood at the top, looking calmly down at him as Harry climbed the stairs. As soon as he reached the second landing, Carlisle put a hand on his shoulder gently, just as he had the night before, and led him to another room of the house. "I think it's time we tell you what we know." He said, pushing open a door. The room that they entered was a tastefully decorated study, with many pictures lining the walls, an antique desk and a few comfortable looking chairs. And in one of those chairs, sat Edward, looking expectantly at them.

* * *

Harry understood why Edward was angry at him now. He understood what he would bring to this family. He understood what would happen and what he would have to do to prevent any of them from being hurt, especially Bella. But the sketched picture before him made it hard for him to breathe.

After Harry told Carlisle about his dream, the older man had exchanged glances with Edward, both looking worried. It was then that Edward told him what Alice had seen. Alice hadn't wanted to tell him and after hearing it he could understand why. She had seen more than what she had drawn of course -which was just a portrait of a woman- it was just that picture which caused a knot to tighten in his stomach.

It was a crude sketch, the dark pencil markings making the gaunt, skull-like features deeper and darker than he remembered them. The woman's face was surrounded by an untamed mane of curls, some colored silver from her time at Azkaban but all the others were an inky black. The gaunt face was contorted in anger and her thin lipped mouth was stretched in a snarl. Her heavy lidded eyes were wide and seemed to burn through him with evil just though it was just a drawing. Bellatrix Lestrange.

It made sense now. His dream. The unfathomable 'she' who had made it safely across the seas to complete her mission, whatever it was.

Bellatrix Lestrange was here. His heart dropped into his stomach. She was here and according to Alice's vision, she would kill him.

"Why is it, that every time someone tells me my future, they predict I'll be murdered or die by way of something strange like a sugar packet accident?" He asked bitterly when he regained his composure. It was a tense moment but Edward smirked just a bit, trying not to laugh. The image of loony Professor Trelawney predicting his death for the umpteenth time wasn't something he could block out, not that he would want to anyway, it was kind of funny.

"A sugar packet?"

"You don't want to know." Harry murmured sulkily, leaning forward and placing the drawing back onto Carlisle's desk, face down. "I've never had much luck with Seers; I guess that goes for ones of the Vampiric kind too."

**Hahah, did you guys ACTUALLY think I would let you know what Alice saw just yet? There would be no fun in that! Don't worry, you'll know eventually... Soon. xD. Hehe. Tell me what you guys think! And what you think Alice saw! I would love to hear your theories ;].**

**R&R loves!**

**\/**


End file.
